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The Star, Wednesday October 11, 2006

Council: Rep won’t listen

KLANG: Klang Municipal councillor Datuk Zakaria Deros had been advised “a number of times” to submit the relevant plans relating to his controversial four-storey bungalow in Pandamaran here but he had not done so, council president Abdul Bakir Zin said. 

Abdul Bakir said he and several officers had advised Zakaria, who is Port Klang state assemblyman, on this issue but “he had not listened.” 

“On this huge bungalow, our planning department had instructed him to submit the relevant plans for inspection and approval but he gave excuses. 

“It’s a headache for me,” he said when contacted yesterday, adding that all the other councillors adhered to the council’s regulations in all matters. 

He was commenting on the controversial bungalow belonging to Zakaria, who had apparently not submitted the relevant plans for approval to the council before construction on the luxury house started earlier this year. 

He said Zakaria explained to the council that the consultant who oversaw the project had resigned and that he could not submit the plans. 

“We advised him a few months ago to stop work on the bungalow, reappoint a consultant and submit the plans but he had continued anyway.”  

Sungai Pinang assemblyman Teng Chang Khim, who said he brought up the matter with the council in February, questioned what the council had done while the bungalow was being constructed. 

“In other instances, ordinary people who put up simple extensions would have faced immediate action,” he said.  

The Star, Thursday October 12, 2006

Port Klang rep may face action

SHAH ALAM: Port Klang assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Md Deros will face action if he is found to have built his mansion illegally. 

Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, in issuing the warning, said no one was above the law.  

CONTROVERSIAL HOME: Zakaria’s soon-to-be-completed mansion dwarfs the other houses in Kampung Idaman.

The Mentri Besar said he was awaiting a report from Klang Municipal Council (MPK) president Abdul Bakir Zin on the controversy over the construction of Zakaria’s four-storey bungalow in Kampung Idaman.  

“I telephoned him and he will be preparing the report in a day or two. After that we will see,” Dr Mohd Khir told reporters after chairing the weekly state exco meeting here yesterday. 

Zakaria, who is also a Klang municipal councillor, was alleged to have built his mansion early this year without submitting the required building plans to the MPK. 

The matter came to light when Sungai Pinang assemblyman Teng Chang Khim raised the matter with the council.  

When informed of Abdul Bakir’s revelation that Zakaria had refused to submit the plans despite being told several times, the mentri besar said he would only comment after reading the report. 

“Sometimes we do not know whether it is true or not … if we have something in black and white, it would be easy for us,” Dr Mohd Khir said. 

Zakaria, a two-term assemblyman, could not be reached for comment. It was learnt that he had left for Mecca to perform the umrah and would return on Oct 18.  

The Star, Friday October 13, 2006

Mansion owner fined only RM5,000

KLANG: A paltry RM5,000! That is the fine that has been meted out on municipal councillor Datuk Zakaria Md Deros, who allegedly defied the authorities while illegally building his palatial four-storey mansion in Pandamaran. 

The Klang Municipal Council (MPK) also ruled that it would not demolish their councillor’s massive bungalow, which is reportedly nearing completion at Kampung Idaman. 

The decision has stunned the Klang Consumer Association.  

Its president A. Devadass said: “The council should follow the regulations and demolish the bungalow. 

“Double standards must not be practised, especially when it involves a councillor, who should be an example to the public.” 

Council president Abdul Bakir Zin said: “The bungalow will not be demolished as it is 80% completed. 

“We will impose a fine – a sum that is 10 times the fees of the building plans.”  

The MPK’s building department officers said the fine would be RM5,000. 

Zakaria, who is also the Port Klang state assemblyman,  

is alleged to have built the huge house, dubbed Istana Zakaria by some villagers, on a piece of state land that had been alienated to his wife Zizah Ngah. 

The issue became an embarrassment to both the municipal council and the Selangor government, but Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo had declined to be drawn into the controversy. 

He only said that nobody was above the law and told reporters on Wednesday that he would get a report first from the council to verify if the mansion was lawfully built.  

Tracing the events that led to the council’s decision, Bakir said Kuala Lumpur-based architect Manap Makmur submitted the building plans on Dec 14, 2004. 

“For some unknown reason, the plans came in without the processing fee being paid,” he said, adding that reminders were sent to the architect on Dec 22, 2004 and Jan 31, 2005.  

The Star, Monday August 21, 2006

Stop handout culture if you want community to excel, Najib says

TANGKAK: The Malays have to stop the hulur (handout) culture if they want their community to be one that is excellent and respectable, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. 

If those who practise such culture become leaders in the party, it would lead to a weak Umno, he told delegates at the Ledang Umno division meeting here yesterday. 

Najib said this in reference to a popular notion that a way to lobby for support is to give below-the-counter payments. 

“The hulur culture, as a means to lobby for favours, will not help the Malays become an excellent community,” said Najib. 

“Our political struggles in Umno are far from over. We must continue the struggles for the sake of the Malays, the nation and Islam,” he said. 

Najib said Umno did not struggle for the Malays to become mat rempit (illegal street racers) or to have HIV but to excel in politics, economy, education and other fields. 

On Malaysian forces serving in Lebanon, Najib, who is Defence Minister, said they would carry out their duties according to the United Nations mission and directives. 

“We have sent troops before to serve under the UN such as in Bosnia and we will do as directed by the UN,” he added.  

At another function, Najib said due importance to knowledge and technology would make the Malays a successful and powerful race. 

“Times have changed. Wealth and riches no longer come with having land grants,” he said when opening the Muar Umno delegates conference. 

Citing Bill Gates as an example, Najib said he became the world’s richest man and powerful because of technology. 

“He is so powerful that he can invite the president of China to visit his house in the United States. 

“He uses his brain and mind to develop the information technology needed for the computer system,” he added. 

Najib, who is Umno deputy president, said the Govern- ment’s policy was for every child to be given at least 11 years of education but there were still those who dropped out from school in Year Four or Year Five. 

He said education was important and the Malays should continue their quest for greater knowledge, including in technology. 

“We in Umno cannot just shout the words Hidup Melayu or Hidup Umno to become strong as they are only slogans.”  

The Star, Friday September 1, 2006

Police rescue man from being beaten up

IPOH: A contract worker had his lucky stars to thank when he was saved by police from being bashed up by a group of Mat Rempits, on Merdeka Day. 

In the incident, which occurred at about 5am at Jalan Sultan Abdul Jalil here, the victim had grazed one of the Mat Rempit’s motorcycles causing the machine, with its rider and pillion rider, to fall. 

Ipoh OCPD Asst Comm Jalaludin Ibrahim said a big group then gathered around the victim, in his 20s, to demand compensation. 

“The victim was dragged by the group to a nearby bank’s automated teller machine to withdraw money. 

“However, as the ATM machine was closed, the angry assailant hit the victim on his forehead with a helmet, causing him minor injuries,” he told a news conference here on Friday. 

ACP Jalaludin added that a team of policemen, who were on their crime prevention rounds, stumbled upon the commotion and managed to prevent the situation from getting worse. 

“A total of 15 people, three of them college students, were picked up,” he added, noting that the illegal racers had been remanded for three days until Saturday. 

To a question, ACP Jalaludin said the racers tested negative for drugs in their urine. 

He also said the racers would be charged with rioting and gang robbery. 

On another matter, ACP Jalaludin said police were looking for two men in their 30s to assist with investigations into the robbery of three Oriental Daily journalists at their office at Jalan Onn Jaafar here on Aug 25. 

Those with information on the men should contact the nearest police station, he added. 

In the 5.45pm incident, two men, one of them armed with a Rambo knife, had robbed the journalists of their cash and valuables. 

A female crime reporter also suffered minor injuries when she was punched by one of the robbers.

The Star, Thursday September 14, 2006

Mat Rempit ‘untameable’

The attempt of Putera Umno to “tame” the 8,000 or so Mat and Minah Rempit was marred over the weekend when some of them misbehaved and purportedly indulged in vice, fights and brought shame to a mosque. 

Harian Metro reported that some Minah Rempit wore revealing clothes in the mosque compound and at the Muslim graveyard when they came to clean up the area. 

They were participating in the Putera Motor Merdeka Expedition Kuala-Lumpur-Teluk Batik 2006.  

Some of the Mat and Minah Rempit in the group also jumped into the Teluk Muroh’s masjid’s kolah (water storage pond) that was meant for ablution for worshippers before prayers.  

Even though the locals admonished the group for their improper behaviour, this was ignored. The mosque committee then lodged a complaint with the Manjung District Religious Office (PAIDM). 

PAIDM enforcement officer Mohd Zainuddin Mohamed Zaini confirmed with Harian Metro that his office had received the complaint.  

In addition, he said, PAIDM also received numerous other complaints about this group of 8,000 or so Mat and Minah Rempit who were in Teluk Batik on Sept 9 and Sept 10. 

He said some had checked into a hotel with males and females sharing the same room. He said they claimed that they decided to rent a room because it was not so comfortable camping by the beach.  

The newspaper also contacted Putera Umno head Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim on the incident. He said he had not received any report of wrongdoing and believed it did not happen. 

He said the group of 8,000 were tightly controlled by 100 or so Rela members, and that the 7,700 male participants were put in camps along the beach, while the 300 or so females were placed in motels. 

Utusan Malaysia in its Bisik Bisik column said with the Government also controlling the price of fine sugar, in addition to coarse sugar, it was hoped that supply of the commodity would return to normal. 

The columnist said the 10 sen difference between the two types of sugar should not compel the millers to manipulate the Government or consumers. 

The editorial said this was the first time in the country’s history where supply had become so scarce, and consumers were allowed to buy only one kg per person. 

Friday September 15, 2006

Mat Rempit: We won’t stop

KUALA LUMPUR: Mat Rempit are adamant that illegal racing is here to stay if there is no effort to legitimise the “sport.” 

This is a direct rebuff to friendly overtures from politicians to bring them back to the fold.  

The illegal racers say that if the authorities really want to take them off the streets, all they have to do is build decent and affordable race tracks for them to do their “thing.” 

“They have been promising these things for a long time, but nothing much has been done so far,” said Fairuz, 24, a mechanic by day and racer by night. 

The existing racetracks are inaccessible to the Mat Rempit because “we cannot afford the charges,” he said. 

“As for the organised races, the competition is too tough for us,” said a fellow enthusiast named Zaki. 

Fairuz said the Sepang track was too far away from the city to be an attractive venue for the Mat Rempit – most of whom were low-income earners. 

“Why are there so many golf courses in the city and so few tracks? It looks like nobody bothers about us because we have no money,” he lamented. 

Zaki, 25, added that Mat Rempit were not society’s trash as they were often made out to be. 

“There are among us graduates from foreign universities as well as professionals, like architects and engineers,” said Zaki who himself is a professional in the IT industry.  

He however conceded that the majority were despatch riders and mechanics. 

Even then, all Mat Rempit should not be viewed with disdain just because of a few bad apples, he said. 

“All this negativity about us stems from the activities of a small number who were reported beating up people and caught for vandalism,” said Zaki. 

Fairuz concurred that Mat Rempit were not gangsters, just young men who thrived on the adrenalin rush from racing. 

“Like other sports, we can get emotional in a race. Sometimes fights break out. Then again, it is just among ourselves,” he said. 

Another racer named Kechik said Putera Umno’s plan to convert Mat Rempit into Mat Cemerlang would not work. 

“Mat Rempit will gamely take part in government-organised roadshows and convoys. But after that, it’s back to their cliques and street racing,” said the 23-year-old university student. 

Zaki said he was suspicious of the motives behind Mat Cemerlang.  

“Looks like someone’s trying to get political mileage out of ‘taming’ us,” he said.  

The Star, Monday October 9, 2006

Rempit clash leaves one dead

KUALA LUMPUR: Two rival groups of Mat Rempit clashed early yesterday, leaving one dead and three injured. 

Agusasrafi Sumarji was stabbed in the chest in the 2.30am incident near a petrol station in Jalan Damansara Indah, Bukit Damansara, here. 

Brickfields OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Dzuraidi Ibrahim said a passing patrol car was stopped by Agusasrafi’s friend after the stabbing. 

The policemen then called for an ambulance and the victim was sent to the University Malaya Medical Centre. 

However, the 21-year-old Agusasrafi, who was admitted to the intensive care unit, died at 3.45am. 

According to ACP Mohd Dzuraidi, the fight is believed to have started when the motorcycles of two Mat Rempit from two different groups came in contact during a race. 

“There were 40 of them in one group and four in the other. “Two men from the larger group and another from the other one were injured in the fight. They were all sent to Hospital Kuala Lumpur for treatment,” he added. 

The case has been classified as murder and 13 people, aged between 18 and 22, have been arrested in connection with the incident. 

Police recovered a 15cm-long knife 200m from the scene as well as a motorcycle believed to belong to one of the suspects. 

ACP Mohd Dzuraidi said police were still looking for the rest of the Mat Rempit to help facilitate investigations. 

Meanwhile, two students who had just sat for the PMR examination were killed in what is believed to be an illegal race in Jalan Teloi Kanan, Baling, on Saturday night, Bernama reported. 

Muhammad Hilmi Zainol and his pillion rider Muhammad Ruslan Othman, both 15, were from Felda Teloi Timur. 

Two others, Nai Narong Kriang, 16, and Son Neak Airon, 15, both from Kampung Lengkuas, Sik, who were on another motorcycle, were seriously injured. 

Muhammad Hilmi, Muhammad Ruslan and Son Neak were classmates at SMK Teloi Kanan. 

Baling OCPD Acting Supt Mat Daud Mat Hasan said Nai Narong fractured both his legs while Son Neak, who sustained chest injuries, had been put on a life support system at the Sungai Petani Hospital. 

Muhammad Hilmi’s father Zainol Mat Isa, 58, when met at his house, said he accepted the death of his son – the youngest of six siblings – as fated. 

“It is very sad with Hari Raya just around the corner and all preparations including his Raya clothing ready,” he added.  

The Star, Sunday October 15, 2006

Mat Rempit getting bolder

BY SIRA HABIBU

ALOR STAR: The gangs of illegal street racers have become bol-der and are not intimidated by the law, state deputy police chief SAC (II) A. Thaiveegan warns. 

“Some Mat Rempit even dare to kick police cars and show vulgar signs at policemen.  

“We are concerned over this new trend where the Mat Rem-pit dared to ridicule and threaten the police,” he said, adding that there were about two or three such cases reported in a day. 

SAC (II) Thaiveegan said po-licemen who are provoked, scolded, ridiculed, or challeng-ed by these Mat Rempit have been told to file reports.  

He said the state police re-ceived between 100 and 150 complaints a month about the activities of Mat Rempit. 

“People are upset with us for not being able to control them. But what are the parents doing, allowing their children to ride motorcycles late at night and in the wee hours of the morning? 

“Our hands are also tied. We can only take action against them when they are caught speeding, if they ride without licence, or if they are riding stolen motorcycles. 

“In many cases, the Mat Rempit prefer to do stunts on stolen motorcycles. That way they can abandon the machines to avoid detection. 

“It is high time that such incidents are recorded as the Mat Rempit are becoming bolder,” he said when commenting on an incident on Wednesday when a policeman allegedly used force on a motorcyclist who was riding without licen-ce. 

The owner of the motorcycle lodged a report claiming that that his machine was damaged during the incident. It is learnt that the seat of the motorcycle was torched. 

Thaiveegan said an inves-tigation was being carried out to ascertain if the com- plainant was telling the truth about who actually torched the motorcycle. 

“So far, we could not find any evidence to substantiate the complainant’s allegations,” he said. 

SAC (II) Thaiveegan also said that about 800 policemen would be stationed at 100 “crime hot spots” in Kulim, Sungai Petani, Alor Star and Kubang Pasu during the Dee-pavali and Hari Raya festive pe-riods.  

The Star, Wednesday October 18, 2006

CPO: Hard to prosecute Mat Rempit

By SIRA HABIBU

IT is difficult to charge illegal racers in court because the existing laws focus on proof, Kedah police chief SAC (I) Datuk Mohd Zuber Shariff said. 

He said that to effectively put an end to the Mat Rempit (daredevil motorcycle riders) menace, the law had to be amended so that it was not centred solely on the burden of proof. 

“How do we prove in court that a person was riding recklessly? 

“We need photographic evidence. Otherwise the suspect will contest the charge,” he said  

SAC (I) Zuber said this after breaking fast with Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Mohd Johari Baharom at the Kubang Pasu district police headquarters on Saturday night. 

He also said the law against snatch theft should be reviewed, as the penalties did not serve as a deterrent. 

“We need to impose stiffer pe-nalty to check habitual snatch thieves. 

“We have come across cases of snatch thieves doing it again and again after serving jail terms,” he added. 

Mohd Johari said the ministry was in the process of making draft amendments to the laws to empower authorities to confiscate motorcycles or suspend licences of those involved in illegal racing and endangering public safety. 

“The proposal will be submitted to the Attorney General for further review,” he said. 

Mohd Johari said parents and non-governmental organisations should also play a greater role in helping to control Mat Rempit. 

He chided parents who allowed their children to ride motor- cycles without licence, adding that parents who suspect their children were involved in illegal racing should impose a curfew on them. 

“In Tanjung Sepat, Selangor, an illegal motorcycle rider who had no licence panicked when he saw a roadblock. In his haste to escape the roadblock he knocked into something and died on the spot. He was not wearing a helmet. 

“There is also a need to re- view the law to take action against parents or guardians who allow their children to handle motor vehicles without licence,” he said.